It has been brought to our attention, there are several emails that are in the circulation and an ad on  Craig’s List by someone using the identity of a legitimate moving company trying to sell a vehicle.  The actual company, Absolutemovingandstorage.com  has nothing to do with the emails, it’s a scam.  One of the scam emails or postings tell of an individual or couple that lost their son in Iraq, in combat.  They are trying to sell his vehicle for $4000.00 (including shipping) to offset debts and expenses, etc.

The scammers ask potentail purchasers to send a moneygram or wire funds in the amount of $4000.00 and once received Absolute-Moving.net will guarantee delivery.  Everyone PLEASE BE ON THE ALERT!  This is a moving scam.  Do not release any banking information, do not send any money, NO VEHICLE IS GOING TO BE DELIVERED.  The people responsible for this scam are most likely outside the U.S. so the chance of catching them or recovering any transferred money is near zero. 

Please review  the sample email below of what is being sent to people.  There is another email being sent (mentioned above) about a couple’s lost son.  The number listed does go to the actual moving company but the mover has nothing to do with the scam and has no knowledge of any delivery.  Everyone should become familiar with the article to see how the scam works.  Any questions, comments, or input regarding this scam or others should be sent to support@emovingstorage.com.  The original person who  received this informations name has been deleted for protection of their identity.

Dear (Name not published to protect the email recipients identity)
>  
> We suggest that you print this page for future references
>  
      
> Transaction # 74832021977  Description: 2007 BMW M6 Registered by: Anthony Garcia
 
> Details:
> ====================================
> Vehicle Description BMW 2007 BMW M6 
> Tracking # 1IL852E8BCPTERZPQ
>  
> Shipping:  Paid     
> Taxes:  $0 
> Total:  $4,000.00
> ====================================
>
>     
> Delivery address:
> ====================================
> Full name: this information has been deleted to protect the recipients information
> Street:
> City: Elizabeth
> State: NJ
> Zipcode: 07208
> Country:  USA
> ====================================
>
>
> How it works:
>
> 1. The buyer and seller agree to use the Absolute Moving & Storage © for payment transfer.
> 2. The buyer transfer the funds to Absolute Moving & Storage © in order to begin the shipping procedures and take the vehicle of the market. The funds should arrive at Absolute Moving & Storage © within 2 business days.
> 3. Upon receipt of the funds, Absolute Moving & Storage © notifies the seller that the funds are on hand with Absolute Moving & Storage ©
> 4. Absolute Moving & Storage © ship the vehicle , a tracking number will be provided to the buyer.
> 5. After the buyer has inspected ( 5 business days ) the vehicle and agreed to buy it, Absolute Moving & Storage © sends the funds to the seller and takes care for the buyer of the paperworks and title transfer that needs to be done for registration
> ====================================
 
> $4,000 money order must be made through MoneyGram ( Same-Day service ) to our company Lawyer`s name and address:
>
> Name: Brandon Anderson
> Street: Service Rd.
> City: Selma
> State: NC
> Zipcode : 27576
> Country : USA
> ====================================
> Note: Our Lawyer is directly involved in this transaction because Mr.Garcia have paid for title transfer service.
 ====================================
>
> Once your MoneyGram same-day transfer is completed please reply this email to and provide the following information:
>  
>  
> – MoneyGram Sender’s full name, address, city, state, zip and phone # (that person who completed the MoneyGram transfer)
> – The MoneyGram Reference Number  ( 8-digit number located on your confirmation receipt)
> – Total amount transferred
>  
> ====================================
> 
  
> Moneygram is a money transfer service. You can essentially send cash to another person or business.
> How MoneyGram works:
> 1) Go to a MoneyGram Agent location (currently there are more than 25,000, including all 3.400 Wal-Marts) and complete a short form ( MoneyGram same-day service ) with your information and the recipient’s information ( our Lawyer`s full details )
> 2) MoneyGram agent will process your transaction and give you a 8 digit reference number
> 3) Money have been sent!
>  

>
> Please confirm your phone # , We will call you to confirm your address and discuss accessibility.
> If accessibility is limited the driver may suggest meeting at a local supermarket or mall with ample space to unload your car.
> Your car will be transported on an 8 or 10-car hauler, the same type of trucks used to deliver new cars to your local dealerships.
> These trucks are 75 to 80 feet long and are almost 14 feet high. Therefore they are very hard to maneuver and are restricted to main roads that do not have any overhanging trees or low clearance bridges.
> Our drivers will call you the morning of your delivery date to give you a three-hour block of time during which your delivery will be made.
> This call also confirms to us that you will be available to receive the delivery on the scheduled date. If you are not home when we attempt to make your delivery on the scheduled delivery date, we will help you reschedule your delivery for the next available date.
>  
>  
>  
>
>  
>  
> Please save/print this email for your records
> If you have any question, please do not hesitate to contact us>
>  
> Email:
> Support@Absolute-Moving.net
> Phone:
> 800-549-4578
>  
>  
>
>
>
>

Moving scams are still occurring these days, and that is why we stress the importance of researching the moving company before you choose who you are moving with.  This lady was smart enough to call the police, and stop this “rogue mover” before they got away with thousands of her dollars.  The movers were posing as another moving company, and have been on the run now for several months scamming customer after customer.

There are some helpful clues as we have discussed on how you can figure out if your moving company is a “legit moving company”.  Get a referral from friends and family, check the letter ratings with the Better Business Bureau, and view the number of complaints over the last 36 months (new movers under a  year old, and movers who have recently changed their names are not listed).  Check with your state’s moving association, or regulatory agency to verify required licensing and or registration.  Cheapest is not always the best way to go, even if you are on a budget. 

“RED FLAGS” To Watch Out For

• Be careful if the mover:  will not come and give you an in home or onsite estimate.
• Be careful if the mover: requires large deposits or amounts of cash before the move has occurred.
• Be careful if the mover: only accepts cash as a form of payment.
• Be careful if the mover: tells you that all of your goods are fully covered under their insurance, automatically.
• Be careful if the mover:  does not have a physical address, license #, and registration on their documents or website to verify who they are.
• Be careful if the:  phone # they give you is disconnected, or they don’t answer by the name of the company they say they are representing.
• Be careful if the mover: will not provide you with a moving rules and regulations brochure.

As discussed, these scams are occurring every day, to read more on what happened to this lady, and how she helped put a stop to these criminals going any further, check out the article 3 Arrested in Alleged Moving Scam.

If you’re movers quotes are not guaranteed on a weight/distance shipment, there are ways that the shipments weight can be falsified and exaggerated to inflate the cost.

1.  The driver can get an empty weight with a smaller lighter tractor than the tractor used for the heavy weight.
2. The driver can get an empty weight with empty fuel tanks and a heavy weight with a full fuel tank, this can potentially add up to 1500 lbs to the shipment if his truck has twin 150 gallon fuel tanks (diesel is 5lbs per gallon).
3. The driver can put something on the back of the trailer for extra weight, 5-6 people, a skid of heavy materials like newsprint; even one instance a driver put a jeep wrangler on the trailer to get the heavy weight.  All of these cases do the same thing to inflate the weight of the shipment and the cost to the customer.
4. Some driver can even get small weight ticket machines or metal imprints to manufacture bogus weight tickets from fictional scales.

To avoid these potential problems, watch the truck weight at a Certified Scale before and after loading.  It’s an extra stop but it confirms that he shipments weight is accurate and the charges are fair.  By no way is this painting a picture that all movers are trying to cheat the public, they’re not, but this can protect you against the few bad apples that operate dishonestly.

There are various websites out there that are great resources for selling that old piece of furniture or finding that trinket from your youth.  These websites have a ton of traffic and serve a great purpose but they are not a viable option when finding a mover.  When scouring the internet to find “cheap movers”, you must remember that price point cannot be the only criteria in the search.  The first thing to do is check your states moving regulations on this site State Moving Regulations.  That way you can verify that quote you are getting is being calculated by the correct legal method.  Then make sure the mover or movers you are getting bids from are licensed to do the type of move you require; intrastate  or local moves(within a state) or interstate (across state lines).  Next verify your options for insurance, its cost, and the carrier’s liability.  Some bad things can happen if you choose an unlicensed, uninsured rogue mover.  If they damage your goods the chance of remedy is little or none.  Since these individuals always want “cash only” any potential dispute with the credit card company goes out the window.  If one of these movers injures himself or herself on your property without workers compensation insurance, the liability could shift to you if it’s your property.  Finally, if the rogue mover doesn’t respect the laws regarding licensing and insurance he probably doesn’t respect your rights either.  This means any dealing in good faith is questionable at best. 

So as tempting as it is to find an unlicensed uninsured mover on an internet “list”, the potential problems outweigh the cost savings.

 The article from the Long Island Moving & Storage Association “An Open Letter to New York Area Consumers about Rogue Operators and How to Avoid Them” gives a brief description for all consumers and how to avoid rogue operators who rip off the consumers with low bidding, and demanding higher fees.  It gives some tips on background checking and the due diligence a consumer can do on the front side to avoid scams later. 

There are several places, the article points out, that can be important tools in verifying a movers’ compliance and rating in the industry.  It focuses on giving consumers information to make a more educated decision when choosing a mover.

To read more on this article and to avoid rogue operators, check out this article,  “An Open Letter“.  This article is directed towards consumers in New York, but the rule applies to all 50 states to avoid yourself getting taken advantage of.

What is a “rogue” or ”bandit” mover, you ask?  These are companies that you should stay away from, and look the other way.  “Red Flag”, you do not want to hire these companies.  They are no action movers that promise people things that they have no intention fulfilling.  Some of these companies hold your items hostage and force people to pay more than what was originally quoted, and may not be licensed either.  They will give you a quote without getting a list of items or doing an onsite survey.  Do your homework, these tips will help you spot a rogue mover, and to hire a reputable company.

With interstate moves, when dealing with movers, they should provide you with a Rights and Regulation Guide for mover (booklet that movers are required to provide the customer for preparing them for their upcoming moves).  If they do not, make sure to ask for one, and if they tell you they cannot, you should do your research to make sure they are licensed to perform interstate moves or if they have any records.

LARGE DEPOSITS OR 1/2 THE MONEY UP FRONT.  If a company is requiring a large amount of money up front or ½ up front be careful, they may be up to something.

ONSITE ESTIMATE:  The Company does not give you a written or onsite estimate.  By law if the company is within the same state less than 50 miles away, they are required to provide the customer with an in-home estimate in most states.

WRITTEN ESTIMATE:  It is very important that the company gives you a written estimate, if they will not provide you with a written estimate, you may want to check some new mover lists, and find a different company, however some states like Ohio don’t require a written estimate if the move is under $500, or booked within 5 days of the move.

BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU RECORD:  This is a good tool to see how many complaints your mover has had in the last 36 months, dont just rely on the letter or rating they have, make sure you check the # of complaints also, you will get a good feel of who you are dealing with.

RATES TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE:  If the price seems overly cheap, or on a local move, there stating they are power movers and can get your move done in less time than seems possible, do more research, be careful, because these type of companies are use to taking advantage of the customer.

PHYSICAL ADDRESS:  Find out where the company’s home base is, make sure they have a physical address that is legit, phone #’s are working, etc, that way on the day of the move you are able to reach someone whether it is the office or owner, etc.  If an office doesn’t exist, this is another warning sign, to have you choose another company.

CASH ONLY:  If a company only accepts cash, this should make you wary, there is no paper trail to be left.  Most companies will accept certified funds, major credit cards, etc.

BILL OF LADING:  When the company is doing your move, they should have you sign the Bill of Lading and go through insurance with you, if they are not giving you a copy of the Bill of Lading, this is another warning sign, because especially for interstate shipments, your contract # is on here, and this is how many companies have you track your shipment.

LICENSE # ON TRUCK/UNMARKED TRUCK:  If a truck is unmarked or no license #, you may want to do a little more investigation before having your items loaded onto their vehicle.

GET REFERRALS: Do your homework, there are a lot of ROGUE movers out there, but with the proper research, there are a lot of GOOD MOVING companies out there also.